As the front man for The Void, lead singer Dane Archer has yet to achieve the success he craves. He hopes that will change when he’s approached about filming a reality show called House of Archer. All he and the band have to do is get some juicy footage while on their upcoming tour.

The problem? Archer’s life is a snoozefest. His parents are happily married, he’s never done drugs or gotten arrested, and he doesn’t get into fights with his band mates. He knows the show will fizzle and die before it ever hits the air, taking his dreams of worldwide fame along with it.

Unless...

If Archer can convince his best friend Lily to be on the show, he’s sure they’ll get all the compelling footage they need. Her life is filled with drama. Hell, she’s practically a reality show in her own right.

Archer’s willing to do whatever it takes to get Lily on board, even if it means charming her into being more than just friends. But when he finds himself falling for her, his seemingly simple plan gets complicated. Soon the line between reality and Reality TV begins to blur, leaving him wondering if achieving his dreams is worth all it might cost him.

SNEAK PEAK

“What are...Dane? What’s going on?” Lily asked as he climbed into the SUV behind her and closed the door.

“We’re going to talk.”

“I don’t want to talk.”

“That’s too damn bad.”

Her irritation disappeared in a blink of shock. He hadn’t infused the words with any heat, but it certainly wasn’t the response she had expected.

Neither of them said another word until Barney had seated himself behind the wheel. “Do you need anything before we depart, Mr. Archer?” he asked.

“No, Barney. Thanks.”

Barney nodded and pressed the button to raise the privacy shield between the front and back seats. Once they were moving, Dane turned back to Lily. Since she was glowering out the window, she saw his expression in the reflective surface. For some reason he looked amused over her behavior.

“Lily, nothing happened with Camilla,” he began.

She shrugged. “Why would I care?”

“Because I kissed you yesterday.” When she didn’t reply, he continued, “Do you really think so little of me that you believe I’d go from kissing you like that to pursuing another woman?”

She huffed out a sigh and finally met his gaze. “Of course I don’t think little of you, Dane. Honestly, I don’t know what to think right now.”

He looked relieved that she was speaking with him in a calm manner rather than chewing his head off. It made her regret going out of her way to avoid and ignore him all morning. She had been acting like a middle schooler. He was her best friend. He deserved to have his say.

“Look, Lily, I know I screwed up last night. I should have mentioned I had that interview so you knew to wait for me. I was more concerned about keeping Camilla happy so she would give the band some good press than I was about hunting you down to talk about us.”

She bit her bottom lip and looked down at the notebook she was clutching in her lap. “It’s okay, Dane. I—”

“No, it’s not okay.” He ran a hand through his hair as though trying to find the right words to give her. “You have no idea how important you are to me, Lily. You’re the best friend I’ve ever had. You’re beautiful and funny and I know I can tell you anything. But I haven’t told you the truth about how I feel about you. I want more than just your friendship. I want a shot at a real relationship with you.”

Her heart ached more with every word he spoke. “Oh, Dane.”

His expression fell. “What? What’s wrong?”

Taking a deep breath, she said, “Johnathan asked me to marry him.”

The words seemed to knock the wind right out of him. She actually saw him flinch as though suffering from a blow. He shook his head and cleared his throat a couple of times before he spoke again.

Raine Thomas is the award-winning author of bestselling Young Adult and New Adult fiction. Known for character-driven stories that inspire the imagination, Raine recently signed with multiple award-winning producer Chase Chenowith of Back Fence Productions to bring her popular Daughters of Saraqael trilogy to the big screen. She’s a proud indie author who is living the dream.

Raine is a hopeless romantic with a background in the fields of mental health and wedding planning…two areas that intersect far more than one would think. Her years working with children and young adults with emotional and behavioral challenges inspired her to create protagonists who overcome their own conflicts. When she isn’t writing or glued to e-mail or social networking sites, Raine can usually be found vacationing with her husband and daughter on one of Florida’s beautiful beaches or crossing the border to visit with her Canadian friends and relatives.

Much has been lost in the conflict with the Fae king and his allies, a conflict we hadn’t known we were in until one of our own fell at his hand. And while a great Seal between realms may have been rebuilt, dark things slipped through in the chaos, creatures who would overrun this world. Our allies are many. Our enemies are terrible. And someone ate my last chimichanga despite the fact I had clearly marked it with a note that said it was mine.

Eric is a former bookseller, guitarist, and comic seller currently living in Saint Louis, Missouri. A lifelong enthusiast of books, music, toys, and games, he discovered a love for the written word after being dragged to the library by his parents at a young age. When he is not writing, you can usually find him reading, gaming, or buried beneath a small avalanche of Transformers.

Lauren Campbell lives in Atlanta, GA, with her family, and is author of The Evolution of Ivy: Poison.

She was raised in Columbia, SC, with her three sisters who annoy her greatly.

An avid reader since early childhood, Lauren discovered her love for writing several years into owning a successful newborn photography business. After reaching out to author Colleen Hoover in 2013 for advice, Lauren painstakingly pieced together a heap of garbage loosely based on her personal life that she decided to trash. After one year of being on hiatus, Lauren subsequently came up with the idea for Poison after being inspired by a photo on the internet. She wrote Poison in three weeks. It is not a heap of garbage, has no personal ties, and is filled with characters Lauren cares more for than some of the real people in her life. But don't tell anyone that.

Lauren's social life is pretty boring, but she loves reading, coffee & hot tea, and living in her pajamas. She's a glutton for punishment, and regrettably signs up for things like Room Mom in her children's classes, leaving her up all night doing things like baking dozens of cookies between swear words. Her favorite food is avocado. If she could, she'd find a way to put it on everything.

Bringing the mug to my lips, the last drop of lukewarm coffee slides down my throat as the waitress zips by. I sigh, my hand halting in midair before coming to rest on the table again. I can't do much of anything without coffee. Can hardly remember my old name without the heavenly liquid, much less my new one. If I'm going to craft any sort of decent plan to get Brooks back, I'll need a refill.

Despite her Facebook telling me she frequents this place, Eliza is still MIA. Perhaps she isn't eating. Maybe she'll starve to death. But Lord knows I've eaten plenty for the both of us. I'm unwilling to get fat waiting on her, but the smells of freshly cracked eggs and crisping bacon prevent me from simply having a coffee. The breakfast aromas must drift far from the building, because all the self-important losers of Brookhaven keep packing the place like sardines. I'll give it until the end of the week before coming up with another plan. Which would suck, because—

Holy. Shit.

There she is. A crown of blonde shifting nervously from foot to foot at the front door. Two douchebags engage her, because she's pretty—okay, beautiful … whatever. Raised brows and sly smiles adorn their faces. She rolls her eyes. Raises a hand to flaunt the rock that should be on my finger instead. Stubborn, they keep trying. She steps to the counter, shakes her head at the staff, then shrugs in exasperation. A whoosh of hair as she spins around, heading for the door.

Every day until the wedding is precious. I can't let her go. Without thinking it through, I bolt from the table. My feet are quick as I beeline for her, and then fingertips finally connect with her shoulder. “Hey!”

She spins, blue eyes staring at my own. Unable to speak, I stare back. I'm afraid, terrified she will recognize me, even though she couldn't. It's impossible. I don't even resemble Ivy."

Monday, January 23, 2017

John Smith has been hurt before by a mysterious blonde that tumbles out of his cop car. Since she stomped on his heart, he's made sure he'll never feel that way again. He has developed two rules: Never more than one night and never a blonde.

The nerdy and conservative Becca Swanson has a plan for her life: college, law school, and rule the world. Nothing and no one will get in her way. That is, until she wakes up in a stranger's bedroom with no recollection of the night before.

This one tumultuous night caused these two to cross paths. Becca is everything John told himself he didn't need. Smart, sexy, and -- blonde. When she becomes the victim of one of his cases he finally can't deny the connection anymore. Worst of all, he's beginning to fall harder than ever before.

It throws his rules and her plans out the window. Could it have been fate? Or will it become the biggest mistake either of them has ever made?

Sheena is a born and raised New Yorker, even her writing can’t hide her hard sarcasm. She claims destiny lead her to writing again. She constantly strives to be a positive role model and write stories that empower and inspire.

Sheena always roots for the underdog, believes in love at first sight, and that everyone should have their happily ever after. While God is currently writing her love story she continues to put all her time into her writing as she is constantly getting new inspiration.

Meggie and I almost started crying during the pre-game shot, toast. Her parents decided to pull her out of summer classes. This is her last weekend before she has to return home. I don’t know what I’m going to do without her. She almost said the exact same thing during her toast, but we quickly chased it down with some humor. I mean, after all, we’ll be apart for barely two months.

When you spend every single day together, two months feels like an eternity. Tonight is going to be a good night. Just my best friend and me – we promised each other a girl’s night. For the first time in my life, I was totally lying.

There are a ton of bars on The Ave. We could have gone to any number of them, and probably should have… but truthfully, I wanted him to see me. Meggie and I saunter up to the bouncer on the patio stairs in our heels and he automatically waves us in. After sharing a glance, we giggle before walking into the flap of the tented patio. The white material billows up into two points above the patio and the light filters through, casting an eerie ambiance. My eyes scan the crowd.

Meggie catches my eye. “I don’t see him, Bee.”

I look away. “I don’t know who you’re talking about.”

She smiles. “You know exactly who I am talk about.” She guides me across the patio to the outside bar, conveniently squeezing in between a pair of guys, and places our drink order.

“Oh, excuse me, boys.” Meggie is the queen of striking up conversation. The bartender places the drinks on the bar top and I happen to notice one of the guys reaching for his wallet.

“Let me get those for you, doll,” he offers.

“Oh, I couldn’t possibly…” Meggie starts and I roll my eyes. She definitely could possibly, and he is totally being played.

They exchange a few words before she passes me one of the drinks. She waves to them as we walk away arm in arm.

“I don’t know how you do it.” I giggle in her ear.

“Men are suckers.” She wiggles her fingers at a bouncer in the doorway to the back entrance of the club and we slip inside. “It’s almost like they deserve it. You see, Becca, you can let them play you—Or you can play them first.”

“That’s no way to be, Meggie.”

“That’s the only way to be.” She lifts her drink to her lips and swallows a gulp.

My head nods before glancing around, just one more time. John is stationed in his usual spot against the far wall, overlooking the dance floor. His stern glare surveys the area as groups of girls gravitate to the dance floor in front of him. He has a vibe about him that begs to be enjoyed. Tonight, I want to give in. I crave spontaneity and adventure the way a college girl should. But most of all, I want to be that way with him.

Clay is a man of few human talents. As a wolf, he hunts well and can fight off a grizzly twice his size, but has no aspirations. The idea of a Mate isn’t something he has ever seriously entertained. Dreamed about, maybe, but he knows the chances are nearly non-existent.

Then he meets Gabby, a human girl. She hates him at first sight, yet he can’t let her go. Who he was is no longer important. Now, who he needs to become to win her over is the only thing that matters.

Melissa Haag currently resides in Wisconsin with her husband and three children. Touch is her first published novel. She is currently working on book three of a separate five book series.

Everything in Porschia Grant’s world was finally normal; the daily routine peppered with moments of happiness, sadness, and monotony. She longs for those moments now, because her entire world has been wrecked, and she didn’t even see it coming.

An evil escaped the underworld, killing someone she loves. It has to die, and she wants to be the one to end it.

But can Porschia live with herself if she takes on the curse she once hated? Will the consequences of her choice crush her?

How will she feel when someone from her past, someone she loved so deeply, enters her life again?

Tage has been guiding his son from the afterlife. He’s always been a part of Seth’s life, even if Porschia didn’t know the extent of his involvement. He’s watched over both of them from afar. Close, but never close enough.

Now they need him, and he’s about to risk everything to show her how much she still means to him.

For some, love never ends and frenzy is forever.

Award-winning author Casey L. Bond resides in Milton, West Virginia with her husband and their two beautiful daughters. When she’s not busy being a domestic goddess and chasing her baby girls, she loves to write young adult and new adult fiction. You can find more information about Bond’s books via the following links: